TO's 2nd MRI Negative & Interview Recap
Interview Recap by the Dodger from a sports forum:
I've tried to go word for word, but I didn't get every single thing he said...I also tried to cut out the non-essentials.
Some of this stuff is going to fuel the fire once again...especially where he talks about what Parcells needs to see for him to play...
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Reporter: TO, how's the hamstring?
TO: Uh, It was negative. A little fluid was shown in there. It's frustrating, but it's not where I need it to be to play and perform like I need to. So...at this point I'm going to be smart about it. I felt like I was never pressured to get back on the field...I was just trying to compromise...to get back out there and it just flared up again.
Reporter: So it was re-aggrivated?
TO: Yeah, I'd say so. I just got to be a little more patient. With hamstring injuries this is a first for me, and I've talked to people that have had them, and rest is the key.
Reporter: Was it a specific run or route that cause it. Did it happen suddenly?
TO: No. It wasn't anything sudden. It just kind of sneaked up on me. Honestly, I just felt like I had too many reps. I was tying to build myself up for the number of reps I needed, but like I said, I think I got too many reps.
Reporter: If this continues and you don't get a chance to play in a preseason game, how big of a deal would that be for you?
TO: I wouldn't be a big deal for me...maybe you guys, but I'm fine. In San Francisco, I missed part of the practices and still went out and performed. I know how to play the game. When I play the game, I play full speed. I have no doubts about whether I'm going to perform or not. Obviously, I need to try to get on the field to get into a rhythm with the offense, but I think that will come in time, and I don't think I'm too far off.
Reporter: What about your head coach though? He's said that at some point he's got to see something.
TO: I can reiterate. If he wants to see something, he's got 10 years of film to go back and look on, and like I said, I'm very confident, and that's not to discredit what he's saying, but I think a lot of people and a lot of players on this team know what I'm about and know what I can do once I get on the field. I know what I can do once I get my hands on the ball.
Reporter: Do you think you'll be playing on Saturday?
TO: Not the way I'm feeling right now...I'd definitely say that I'm not.
Reporter: So you probably won't return until you're 100%.
TO: At this point, yeah. I have to respect my health, and I feel like you really have to be an athlete and have to go through an injury to really know what's going on. Just because the MRI doesn't show anything doesn't mean that I'm not hurting. I've come back from one of the most devastating injuries, and I know what pain is, and I know what I have to do to be productive on the football field.
Reporter: Have you talked to other players about hamstring injures? What have they told you about how long it will take to come back?
TO: Every hamstring injury is different. It's not a situation where I tore it, it's just a severe pull and the way I go out and run and practice I go out and aggravate it. I'm feeling better than when I left camp, but we're back to the same thing...it is day to day.
Reporter: If this were a regular season game coming up, would you be able to play?
TO: I doubt it. I'm just being honest.
Reporter: Have you talked to others like Steve [Smith] about his injury?
TO: You wouldn't even know that those guys had injuries if you guys wouldn't harp on mine. I never knew until prior to the week before camp. Those guys, I mean, especially Steve. He's missed more camp days than I have, and everyone has been concentrating on my hamstring. They're not practicing because they're injured, but you're focusing on mine. I just found out that Hines is suffering from the same thing. It's not something that you just come back from with a few days rest.
Reporter: The regular season is just 2 1/2 weeks away. How concerned are you that this might linger into the regular season.
TO: I'm not concerned. I'm not going to jeopardize my health. I've done that before and got no respect for it, so for me I'm just going to do what's best for me and the team, and I'm looking at the big picture, and I know we need to win ball games and get to the playoffs. I know what I need to be health wise, and if I'm not where I need be I'm not going to jeopardize that.
Reporter: Do you feel like you jeopardized you health coming back last week?
TO: Uh...to a certain extent. I felt like I was feeling better and healthier. When I went out to practice I felt like me reps really weren't monitored as they should have been and I got more reps than I should have, but I'm going to take it day to day, and now I realize that I have to do what's best for me.
Reporter: Whom do you blame for that?
TO: The majority of that is my fault. I felt better after what the trainers did, but that went out the window after the first day when I got more reps than I should have. I'm not worried about getting in shape, but I can't get in shape if my leg is not to the point of being able to sustain the endurance that it needs to sustain.
I've tried to go word for word, but I didn't get every single thing he said...I also tried to cut out the non-essentials.
Some of this stuff is going to fuel the fire once again...especially where he talks about what Parcells needs to see for him to play...
=================================
Reporter: TO, how's the hamstring?
TO: Uh, It was negative. A little fluid was shown in there. It's frustrating, but it's not where I need it to be to play and perform like I need to. So...at this point I'm going to be smart about it. I felt like I was never pressured to get back on the field...I was just trying to compromise...to get back out there and it just flared up again.
Reporter: So it was re-aggrivated?
TO: Yeah, I'd say so. I just got to be a little more patient. With hamstring injuries this is a first for me, and I've talked to people that have had them, and rest is the key.
Reporter: Was it a specific run or route that cause it. Did it happen suddenly?
TO: No. It wasn't anything sudden. It just kind of sneaked up on me. Honestly, I just felt like I had too many reps. I was tying to build myself up for the number of reps I needed, but like I said, I think I got too many reps.
Reporter: If this continues and you don't get a chance to play in a preseason game, how big of a deal would that be for you?
TO: I wouldn't be a big deal for me...maybe you guys, but I'm fine. In San Francisco, I missed part of the practices and still went out and performed. I know how to play the game. When I play the game, I play full speed. I have no doubts about whether I'm going to perform or not. Obviously, I need to try to get on the field to get into a rhythm with the offense, but I think that will come in time, and I don't think I'm too far off.
Reporter: What about your head coach though? He's said that at some point he's got to see something.
TO: I can reiterate. If he wants to see something, he's got 10 years of film to go back and look on, and like I said, I'm very confident, and that's not to discredit what he's saying, but I think a lot of people and a lot of players on this team know what I'm about and know what I can do once I get on the field. I know what I can do once I get my hands on the ball.
Reporter: Do you think you'll be playing on Saturday?
TO: Not the way I'm feeling right now...I'd definitely say that I'm not.
Reporter: So you probably won't return until you're 100%.
TO: At this point, yeah. I have to respect my health, and I feel like you really have to be an athlete and have to go through an injury to really know what's going on. Just because the MRI doesn't show anything doesn't mean that I'm not hurting. I've come back from one of the most devastating injuries, and I know what pain is, and I know what I have to do to be productive on the football field.
Reporter: Have you talked to other players about hamstring injures? What have they told you about how long it will take to come back?
TO: Every hamstring injury is different. It's not a situation where I tore it, it's just a severe pull and the way I go out and run and practice I go out and aggravate it. I'm feeling better than when I left camp, but we're back to the same thing...it is day to day.
Reporter: If this were a regular season game coming up, would you be able to play?
TO: I doubt it. I'm just being honest.
Reporter: Have you talked to others like Steve [Smith] about his injury?
TO: You wouldn't even know that those guys had injuries if you guys wouldn't harp on mine. I never knew until prior to the week before camp. Those guys, I mean, especially Steve. He's missed more camp days than I have, and everyone has been concentrating on my hamstring. They're not practicing because they're injured, but you're focusing on mine. I just found out that Hines is suffering from the same thing. It's not something that you just come back from with a few days rest.
Reporter: The regular season is just 2 1/2 weeks away. How concerned are you that this might linger into the regular season.
TO: I'm not concerned. I'm not going to jeopardize my health. I've done that before and got no respect for it, so for me I'm just going to do what's best for me and the team, and I'm looking at the big picture, and I know we need to win ball games and get to the playoffs. I know what I need to be health wise, and if I'm not where I need be I'm not going to jeopardize that.
Reporter: Do you feel like you jeopardized you health coming back last week?
TO: Uh...to a certain extent. I felt like I was feeling better and healthier. When I went out to practice I felt like me reps really weren't monitored as they should have been and I got more reps than I should have, but I'm going to take it day to day, and now I realize that I have to do what's best for me.
Reporter: Whom do you blame for that?
TO: The majority of that is my fault. I felt better after what the trainers did, but that went out the window after the first day when I got more reps than I should have. I'm not worried about getting in shape, but I can't get in shape if my leg is not to the point of being able to sustain the endurance that it needs to sustain.
posted by The Gryphon at 4:22 PM
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